Fully formed thriller

Rating: 10/10 (22 November 2005)

An early movie in the DV release bonanza of our current age of film-making, Boyle's 28 Days Later... is a zombie movie that challenges the automatous hordes of moviegoers to treat them to a movie that first redefines zombies in a new and appealing way, and then proceeds to set them loose in a three-part story arch that explores the depths of humanity's inhumanity to other humans.
Most viewers need little experience in the zombie genre to recognize the impact of Romero's infamous zombie trilogy on almost all subsequent zombie thrillers ever after, and while this one definitely has its nods, it takes more inspiration from actual crimes of humanity (Bosnia, Saddam's gassing of the Kurds, an explosion in northern Ireland, Sierra Leone, and Pol Pot, amongst others) and the anxiety of a modern world set to eventually face a great pandemic, and compresses it into a theme of apocalyptic emptiness set to Godspeed You! Black Emperor! Sound good enough yet? It also contains fantastic performances and a huge presentation of substance-based style that pulls together a story arch bound to be entertaining for anyone ranging from zombie-buffs to serious cinema enthusiasts always looking for the next post-modern symbolism launcher.
--PolarisDiB